Sunday, December 16, 2018

After the rain...

All is fine.

We got plenty of rain but the ex-cyclone crossed the coast north of us and went back out to sea so thankfully we didn't receive the predicted wild winds.

Mr E worked non-stop to install the bigger pumps in our front and back yards before the rain set in, and he also replaced and extended our down pipes so the water flowed away from the foundations of the house. This was a huge job and I am still in awe of the work he put in to reduce the pooling of storm water.

The pump in the backyard ran for 24 hours, pumping 20,000 litres of water per hour out to the street, and though our yard is still a sea it is far better than it would have been had hubby not replaced the small pump for a larger and more powerful one.

Thanks for your prayers and kind concern. The animals stayed indoors looking for dark hidey holes as is normal for them in bad weather, but what surprised me was the frogs trying to get in the back door, not to mention the one who actually achieved that goal. I found him jumping around the bathroom in the middle of the night! Mr E is up at the pool right now (it was overflowing) removing frogs and toads - they are everywhere and now that the rain is gone Sophie cat is keen to catch some so he's shooing her away at the same time.

This being our first cyclone/tropical low in the new home we did not know what to expect and it was quite alarming the other night during heavy rain when we realised the house could flood if we didn't do something quickly to avert water before this bigger storm arrived.

We still haven't been tested with regards to high winds (and there are some non-compliant structures the previous owner erected that must be removed soon) but one thing at a time, by the grace of God.

We discovered over the course of this past week that there is still much to be done around the outside of the house so over these school holidays my beloved will continue to make the home more weather-secure and eventually we'll fill the front yard with garden.

Now that the storm has passed we'll be experiencing very hot days with extreme humidity. It's always something in the tropics. LOL! Tonight we drove down to the Strand and sat by the beach in a lovely cooling breeze and ate fish and chips, relishing the dry air and the drop in temperature before the heat returns tomorrow.

Wherever you are, may the Lord's hand be upon you and keep you safe, loved and fully at peace as you trust in Him.

Your hubby has done well to keep you both dry and safe. Thanking God for the gifts and abilities HE has given. Glad you and the animals are safe. Frogs, now I am glad they're at your house, not mine. I wouldn't have fared well in Egypt at the time of the plagues. Not my favourite creature.lol

Your posts are always such a blessing to read. Mr.E is a hard working husband and I know you cherish him. So glad that you made it through the storm and hopefully the water will recede soon and your yard will dry out. Love to you and Mr. E !

I am so glad that Mr. E was able to get the larger pumps in before the storm hit and so very glad the storm veered north of you! Thank you, Lord, for your tender mercies!! How did the towns north of you fare? I guess Mr. E will have a great deal of his break from school taken up with getting things in order at home. I hope you will be able to find time to take another day trip - you both enjoy them so much and we get to look at beautiful pictures of your part of the world!! This past year you have been in "find the home" mode and never seemed to take a wee bit of time to explore...perhaps it is time? I have a feeling there was a wall of prayer between you and that storm!!

I'm so pleased to hear that you made it through just fine, and that the storm went back out to sea instead of doing more damage. What great good fortune that all was ready in time for the rain. Good fortune in knowing ahead of time far enough for Mr. E to work like a team of ten! Where does the water go from the street? Is there a drain there? I'm imagining everyone on your block pumping that much water out there and that it MUST have somewhere to go!

Thank heavens for preparation. I'm so glad things turned out as well as they did. I can't imagine how crazy it would be to find a frog in the bathroom. They don't scare me, but I'm not fond of outside things being inside.

I love that you describe your environment and the weather. It's the complete opposite of my world. You guys are making jam when we're shoveling snow.

God is good!! We praise him for his love and care of us. I love your closing: "Wherever you are, may the Lord's hand be upon you and keep you safe, loved and fully at peace as you trust in Him." I'm going to memorize it. Hugs,

I read your story with wide eyes! We're transplants in the Kansas plains (flat) from very dry Southern California. The first rains we experienced were SCARY because we'd never seen so much water at once. We have a basement & the sump pump was running non stop to keep it from flooding. I was watching the hose that extended out the front yard and it was like a river going to the street. I'd like to say that we're used to it, but I hold cautious optimism that all will be okay!! I'm glad Mr. E went full force with jumbo pumps. I know that makes a world of difference. As for the frogs, I can't blame them for running to higher and dryer ground, but I'd prefer they run for the porch! We get little garter snakes that my husband tried to pass off as "big worms"....like I don't know a snake when I see one. Eek!

If you have neighbors or friends near by, they can be a library of information on how to adjust to your new climate. I shudder to think how much we'd have had to repair if we hadn't sought out their advice. I had no idea that you'd empty sprinklers for the winter so the pipes didn't freeze! That would've been a real expensive bummer to find out the hard way!

Hi Debby :-)This isn't a new climate...we've lived in the same town for six years now. It's a new home which has flooding issues in the wet season (something we did not know about when we bought the house). Had to laugh about your 'big worms'!! :-)

So pleased to hear the water didn't make it into your new home! We happened to drive through quite a bit of the rain and I think we may have been lucky getting through as the water was up on the road edges around Giru. Talk soon

Yes Jenny there was a lot of good news as regards cyclone Owen. Thankfully the damage wasn't as bad as expected. I was wondering how your new house would cope with the heavy rain but now you know what to expect and can be prepared. Thankfully you don't live in Halifax as over 650mm of rain in 24 hours was an amazing amount of rainfall.

From even the little peek you have given us, I can tell you that I am in! It looks wonderful-I May even be tempted to get some Tilda fabrics-I have been eyeing the new line anyway. I am also joining Lucy-I always love her CAL! Glad you and yours are safe!

Praises to the Heavely Father for the storm being less. Your patience amazes me! I say that and I have a friend who says her marriage would not have endured things that we endured with our home. It was not storm related but settling problems with our home. We endured that and we did not endure other issues. At the time, we had no choice but to endure. Then one of us could no longer try at the marriage. He just had nothing left to give to us. Of course, that's not what we said but that's what happened. It took a long time to figure that out. Recently, he asked if I would consider getting back together. He had a rather earth shaking health issue. I stood by him. Then after he left rehab, I haven't heard from him. Our son barely hears from him as his phone is a mess and he is home bound. Life is strange. Last night I was at the ER for over 4 hours to learn that I have a 7.5 mm kidney stone in my bladder and a 2.5 kidney stone in my right kidney. Yes, I was there by myself in the natural and Jesus with there with me all the time. My son who lives two hours away would have come and that was not necessary - he had to work today. I had a couple of friends checking on me. All this tropical water is foreign to me and I find it interesting. I wish I hadn't missed the "I" pattern. I was inpatient for depression and was in lockup with no access to a computer, so I figure that I'll just wing it and take a flower from another letter. You are very generous to share your alphabet with us. God's richest blessings on you, your family, and loved ones. Merry Christmas and may God's will be done always.Susan

As delightd as I am with the well wishes, compliments on the fine work of Mr. E and praises to our Beloved Father who gives all good gifts, I can't possibly read them all at once so anything I say has probably already been said. I'll just send a grateful hug to you and all of yours. we're huggers here in the south. Charlene

So glad to read that all went well for you during the cyclone and flood. So happy Mr. E got the pump replaced and drainage issue fixed. I'm envisioning you chasing after the toad in the bathroom....lol... Poor Sophie wanting to play with the frogs....Cats are so silly. Love my 2 cats so much.

It's always nice to receive feedback on a blog post, so *thank you* for taking time to comment!I will try to reply via email unless you are a 'no reply blogger' which means you'll have to check for my reply in the comments. Of course, life is a rather hazardous activity, isn't it? So if I don't respond to your comment that's the reason why - life simply stepped in...hugsJennyx